A WIDNES landlord who lost business as a result of a burst water main outside his pub, now claims he is being charged for the water wasted.

John Yates, landlord of The Grapes on Widnes Road, has been sent water bills from United Utilities for almost &#xA3;3,500 since the leak earlier this year.

Demolition work on the site of the new Asda development led to a water pipe being damaged by heavy machinery and for months little was done to repair it, causing thousands of gallons of clean water to drain away.

Mr Yates also claimed the leak was affecting his business, as customers wanting to get to the pub had to walk across the huge puddle that accumulated outside.

At the time he told the Weekly News: 'People are just bypassing the pub because they have got to walk through the puddle to get here. I have been losing a lot of customers.'

But this week the landlord was shocked to receive a huge water bill for &#xA3;1,400, to go alongside a water bill received earlier in the year for &#xA3;1,900 and a warning that, unless payment was made, Mr Yates would lose his water supply.

He said: 'A lady from United Utilities came out the week before to read the meter, but she couldn't find it because it used to be behind the pub where the buildings have been demolished.

'I complained to United Utilities about the water leak at the time, I even went to my councillor to try to get United Utilities to fix the leak, and nothing was done while I'd say millions of gallons of water were being wasted.

'Now it appears I'm footing the bill for it - but I'm not paying for wasted water.

'I've received a disconnection order for water that was just wasted.'

A spokesman for United Utilities said: 'We are investigating the situation.'